Fa Grant’s thoughts turned quickly, and he decided to tell the truth. He clearly knew where Samuel Shang had gone; if he kept silent, he might anger Joe Di, who could kill him on the spot.
If he spoke up, at worst he would offend Samuel Shang. With so many witnesses here and Joe Di’s overwhelming strength, there was no way he could resist.
“Before you arrived, Fellow Daoist Di, a newcomer also appeared in the Lost Dao Domain—a woman. Once City Lord Shang learned of this, he went to seek her out, probably to inquire about something.” Fa Grant cupped his fists to Joe Di, choosing not to conceal anything for Samuel Shang.
Joe Di’s heart sank. A Third Step expert going after Charlotte Ling could only mean trouble.
“Where did Samuel Shang go?” Joe Di’s voice turned icy. What did it matter if he was at the Third Step?
Fa Grant shook his head. “That I do not know.”
“Where is his sanctuary?” As Joe Di spoke, his domain spread out without the slightest restraint, sweeping across the area. At the same time, his killing intent radiated openly.
Cultivators with weaker cultivation were overwhelmed by this violent killing intent and hurriedly retreated.
This time, Fa Grant said nothing, and the surroundings fell silent. Telling Joe Di where Samuel Shang had gone was one thing—it wouldn’t affect Samuel Shang much. But revealing the location of his sanctuary would be making an enemy of him.
Joe Di stared coldly at Fa Grant. “So it seems you don’t intend to tell me.”
Fa Grant looked troubled as he said to Joe Di, "Fellow Daoist Di, you’re really putting me in a difficult spot. You come from the outside, and when it’s all over you can just walk away, but I have to face City Lord Shang’s wrath. My little arms and legs wouldn’t survive even a slap from him."
The idea of Joe Di just leaving was nonsense. No matter how one entered the Lost Dao Domain, once inside, leaving wasn’t so easy. Even though everyone wanted to know how Joe Di got in, deep down they knew that leaving by the same route was nearly impossible. Fa Grant was simply using a roundabout way to say he didn’t want to answer.
Joe Di laughed heartily, and with a clear ring, the Azure Veil Blade appeared once more in his hand.
"Since you refuse to answer..."
Before Joe Di could finish, a raspy voice interjected, "I’m willing to tell you, but my price is one million Divine Crystals... If you think that’s too much, then..."
Everyone’s eyes turned to the speaker—a hunched old man, late Prime Realm cultivation, but his foundation was shaky. Joe Di suspected he could drop to mid Prime Realm at any moment.
"No need." Joe Di didn’t hesitate at all. He immediately produced a ring and tossed it to the hunched old man. "Here are one million Divine Crystals. Speak quickly."
The old man grabbed the ring, overcome with excitement. He’d only been trying his luck, never expecting to really get a million Divine Crystals. The Lost Dao Domain did have spiritual energy, but it was thin and lifeless, lacking any vitality.
The Divine Crystals Joe Di brought from the outside brimmed with vibrant life force, and their spiritual energy was far beyond anything in the Lost Dao Domain.
To him, receiving a million Divine Crystals meant a whole new lease on life. He might even be able to stabilize his cultivation at the late Prime Realm.
The nearby cultivators’ eyes reddened with envy. If Joe Di weren’t here, someone might have rushed up to snatch the prize. Or rather, if Joe Di hadn’t already tossed a million Divine Crystals to the old man, there would have been competition.
The old man quickly pocketed the ring, pointed to a massive half-black, half-white sanctuary in the distance, and said, "That half-black, half-white sanctuary belongs to City Lord Shang. It’s easy to recognize."
After saying this, the old man unfurled his body and dashed out of Lost Dao City.
With a million Divine Crystals on him, staying in Lost Dao City was suicide. Besides, he’d betrayed Samuel Shang; if he didn’t leave before Samuel Shang returned, he’d be dead with just a slap.
Joe Di couldn’t be bothered with the old man. He had already dashed toward the black-and-white sanctuary at top speed.
The aura outside the sanctuary was imposing. Its ninth-level defensive array was nothing to Joe Di—just a few swings of his blade. After breaking through the sanctuary’s barrier and entering, Joe Di discovered a Supreme Ley Line buried beneath it. Having a Supreme Ley Line in Lost Dao City was a true display of power.
The sanctuary itself was quite simple, but the tea tables and chairs inside were all forged from Supreme Artifacts.
Even for the City Lord of Lost Dao City, there wasn’t much of value here. Joe Di hadn’t come for riches—he immediately closed his eyes and activated his Path of Laws, sensing the surrounding fluctuations.
In the Lost Dao Domain, the rules of heaven and earth were so clear that any fluctuation in Dao Laws could be detected. Moreover, Joe Di cultivated the Path of Laws, making him especially sensitive to these fluctuations.
After circulating his energy for just one cycle, Joe Di sensed something different. There was a unique aura here, reminiscent of the Dao resonance he encountered while refining the Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram. The boundary between yin and yang was strikingly clear, and the residual spatial law fluctuations carried this extreme yin and extreme yang energy.
After gaining a rough understanding of Samuel Shang’s cultivation method, Joe Di swiftly used Lawstride to leave Lost Dao City. When he escaped with Lawstride, almost no one noticed.
In a space where the laws of heaven and earth are so clear, Lawstride is nearly invincible.
After leaving Lost Dao City, Joe Di extended his Spiritual Sense to its limit. As long as Samuel Shang appeared at the edge of his awareness, he was confident he could recognize him.
Still, Joe Di knew this method was pure luck. If he happened to go the wrong way, or if Samuel Shang returned to Lost Dao City while he was searching outside, he could miss him entirely.
Joe Di’s luck held. On the fourth day, a spatial law fluctuation appeared at the edge of his Spiritual Sense. This fluctuation contained two distinct types of Way Resonance, sharply separated.
Sensing this spatial Way Resonance, Joe Di didn’t hesitate—he immediately used Lawstride to move toward it. The dual resonance likely belonged to Samuel Shang.
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As soon as Joe Di activated Lawstride, Samuel Shang sensed it as well. He stopped, and though the space around him rippled slightly, he quickly approached. He knew exactly what was happening.
In just a dozen breaths, Joe Di was standing before Samuel Shang.
A vast, surging aura swept over him, as if he were facing an endless ocean. For the first time, Joe Di couldn’t discern anything about his opponent. The only thing that gave him some peace of mind was that, within this boundless aura, there was also a sense of decay and ancient wear.
This was definitely the Third Step—Joe Di was certain, even before they fought. Samuel Shang had been in the Lost Dao Domain for who knows how many years, yet he still looked like a middle-aged man. His long black hair was carefully tied in an immortal-style topknot, and his black-and-white robe matched the colors of his sanctuary and his cultivation method: sharp contrast between light and dark.
Even the aura of decay and ancient wear couldn’t hide Samuel Shang’s handsome features. He’d existed in the Lost Dao Domain for countless years, yet still looked like a striking man.
Joe Di sized up Samuel Shang, and Samuel Shang did the same to Joe Di. After several breaths, Samuel Shang finally spoke, "If I’m not mistaken, you must be Joe Di. You killed hundreds of Prime Realm cultivators in Lost Dao City and broke into my sanctuary. Impressive—truly impressive. You tracked me down by the Way Resonance I left behind; you’re every bit as skilled as Du Bu once was."
"City Lord Shang, I heard you went after my friend. Did you catch her?" Joe Di’s hand moved, and the Azure Veil Blade appeared. Samuel Shang’s strength made him wary.
Samuel Shang smiled faintly. "If you hadn’t appeared in Lost Dao City, I’d have caught her already. Your arrival saved her once. But don’t worry—once I kill you, I’ll go get her back. It won’t take much effort. Come, let me see how much skill you have, outsider. Why are you so arrogant?"